Ottawa man guilty in accidental shooting of 4-year-old boy

A 40-year-old man has been found guilty of aggravated battery and child endangerment in the accidental shooting of a 4-year-old Ottawa boy in January.

Brian K. Bruno, of Ottawa, pleaded no contest to the charges this week in Franklin County District Court as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. He had been arrested on Jan. 4 after a the boy was accidentally shot in the leg with a handgun at his home in the 1100 block of North Oak Street in Ottawa, according to police.

Police said the single gunshot wound was not life-threatening, and the boy was treated at a Kansas City-area hospital. Bruno was not the boy’s parent but did live in the same home. Two other adults and two children also were in the residence when the gun was fired. No one else was injured.

Bruno is likely to face about four years in prison for the felony aggravated battery conviction, based on state sentencing guidelines and his criminal history, according to the plea agreement. But it is possible that he could be sentenced to probation and 15 days in jail, depending on a judge’s ruling at Bruno’s sentencing on Sept. 9.

Prosecutors originally charged Bruno in January with misdemeanor and felony counts of child endangerment, in addition to aggravated battery. They dropped the felony child endangerment charge as part of the plea agreement. Bruno will be required to register with state authorities as a violent offender.